Mobile Obs

Taking a cue from Mobile Obs, the designing Finn with a camera phone and caffeine predilection, I post this picture of the first meal in NYC. Teresa shepherded us to the most wonderful chocolatier who has a cafe in the back MarieBelle's. If we could have we would have gone back every day. As it was, we went twice. The first day we had smoked turkey and swiss crepe and shared the house specialty dessert Passion Fruit Terraine with pot of chocolate and crushed pistachios. This is what is left of my americano and the Passion Fruit Terraine. The second day we had smoked salmon cream cheese crepes. Teresa had the Terraine to herself and I had the molten chocolate cake with sour cream and orange honey sauce. It was truly the most exquisite chocolate I've ever tasted. And that's saying a lot. Teresa said it might be the best dessert she's ever had. Which is saying even more.

How it is right now

I am walking down an icy street in New York City wearing a purple and red sweater that my dear friend Barb mailed to my hotel. This is the same sweater I borrowed from her when I spent January term my senior year in New York City, completing my senior project. My hair is long and blondish just the way it was back then too. It was heartening and normal and odd to see myself in a plate glass reflection as I marched by. Looking like my old self. Connected to my old friends.
While in a session today, listening to a children's illustrator talk through his process while his wife sang 'Wade in the Water' I was moved by how worshipful it was and how helpful to me as an artist to be connected to his process.
As always with a conference like IAM, it is the people I meet inbetween sessions and have conversations with, that seem to be most effective in my life. One of the important reasons to gather.
Today during Daniel Libeskind's talk on his process as an architect and as part of the 9-11 memorial design, I got a text message from Barb Nicolosi who is in Orlando. I sent a text message for the first time in my life back to Barb and hopefully we will meet up when I get back to Orlando.
And somehow all of this makes sense at this moment. All of this makes more than sense, it is the year of the favor of our Lord. And I am connected to this city, and these conversations, and connecting to Barb and her conversations, and my old self and my college friend, and my current self, and my theology and my thoughts, and my new aquaintances and their passions and questions. And all this was happening today while our beloved son Henry won the talent competition Princeton House Charter School Idol. For as you know, there can be only one.
Smetherfaxbass Out.

Endure

Endure. A word I heard several times today. In one context, my pastor preached today that as image bearers of God we are artists in residence, and that we must create work that endures.

I must endure this show, this weather, this moment. And to do so I will create work that endures. What is work that endures? Is it great art? Is it perfect work? Is it the best that I have to offer?
I think not.
I think work that endures is work that is True.

Then I visited Mark Lee's blog who seems to have had quite a bit of creative inspiration lately (I'm just guessing from the burst of blogs on creative process, and that he participated in the re:create conference, oh and I noticed during the show the other week that Third Day won a Grammy and an affirmation like that would have given me a boost) and there Mark has posted a list from author Linda Merton called 10 barriers of Creativity. It just fed my ability to endure.
Here's the abridged list, the full explanation of which can be found on Mark Lee's blog or on Linda Merton's site:
1. Believing you have to be an artist,
2. Not learning the fundamentals,
3. Not collecting samples of favorite creative projects,
4. Waiting for your muse,
5. Failing to take a systematic approach,
6. Not learning about your target public,
7. Not understanding your purpose,
8. Not knowing your key message,
9. Letting your conscious do all the work,
10. Settling for your first attempts.

Battlestar

We are watching the 1st & 2nd seasons of Battlestar Galactica, because every magazine says it's the best thing on TV right now. And I don't know whether it is or not, but it sure is gripping. Especially when you can watch it via DVD, zipping right from one episode to another. I've made fun of Phil & Morgan for not 'having' TV and watching only DVDs, but boy was I wrong. I'm loving this.

And I'm really enjoying Battlestar. There is something wonderful about watching people of faith and religion work it out in any circumstance. Of course these character's faith comes from the book of Pithia and bears little resemblence to any practiced faith, though there are some mentions to greek gods. The only resemblence is in the reverence that practicioners have and the confusion that non-believers have and how they must interact with each other and defer to the other's faith or not faith. It's really quite a treat to not have it charged with a specific faith of our time and just watch how human characters work it out.

I'm dying to watch the current season, but since it's halfway through, I'm waiting patiently for the DVD version.

In the meantime, since my schedule has been so crazy and I clearly haven't been near my computer in weeks (as evidenced by my lack of e-mailing or blogging) I am wrapping up reading the entire Harry Potter series. I'm on the Half Blood Prince right now, having read Jan's book then followed it with every Harry Potter book. Once I finish HBP, I'll probably read Jan's book again. Which should prepare me for the summer of Order of Phoenix movie and the final book.

Along with my Potter reading, I'm finishing up Steve Turner's Imagine and I'm also reading Wikinomics which was sent to our home in a bit of, what I'm guessing, is Blink/guerilla marketing. It was sent to us from Amazon, because apparently Amazon has some data on us that might indicate that we'd be the type to read it and then post that information on, say, a blog. Which I have. So I guess they know me better than I know myself.

It's official...

...I hate Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. If I just didn't like it or it bored me I'd stop watching it. But I hate it.
I hate it because I love the writer. I love his structure and I love his dialogue. I love the actors. I want to watch them be great. I love the West Wing fonts and openings to scenes. I love Tommy Schlamme's direction and camera movement and his lighting designer.
But I don't care about these characters. I am uninterested in the story lines. And therefore I hate it. I hate it because I keep watching the actors and the writer and the director hoping that one of them will make something of this show.
But I just keep rolling my eyes and huffing and I hating it and hoping they cancel it so that I am not compelled to watch and hope.

Something for today

This daily devotion didn't fit in the series I was just working on, so you get it!

Read this impression of Matthew 6:31 – 34 by Dallas Willard from The Divine Conspiracy. “So don't worry about things, saying, "What are we going to eat?" or "Will we have anything to drink?" or "What will we wear?" (People who don't know God at all do that!) For your Father -- the One in the heavens around you -- knows you need these things. Instead, make it your top priority to be part of what God is doing and to have the kind of goodness he has. Everything else you need will be provided.”


God forms just the right environment for you and asks you to participate in it. Is it your top priority to be part of what He is doing? The only way you can make that your top priority is to know that He has, is and will provide all you need not only for life but for godliness. What do you need to serve Him in the place He has put you? Where do you believe you fit in God’s plan?

Mediate on the 2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Livin' the dream

Right this moment Henry is hosting a talent show in his speech class. He wore a tie with his school uniform and ran back to the car to get his script and carry it with him all day. Here's the script we wrote together:

Hello and welcome to the Princeton House Charter School Speech Class Talent Show!
(Audience Applause.)

I’m your host, Henry Bass!
(Audience Applause.)

My talent is being a talk show host just like Dave or Conan. So let’s do a joke, just like Dave or Conan!

Knock, Knock

Audience: Who’s There?

Henry: Otter

Audience: Otter who?

Henry: You Otter be excited about the talent show!

(Audience laughs.)

We’ve got some great show for you today! All the kids are great so sit back and enjoy the show!!!
(Audience Applause.)

After the last talent act Henry get up and say:

Thanks so much everybody for coming to our talent show!
Remember, I’m Henry Bass. Good Night everybody!!!
(Audience Applause.)